The Rose Tattoo
by M. Elizabeth Ravensblood
Summary: John Grant can't deal with physical imperfection in Sam when she's sick and she finds happiness with Jack.


Author's Notes: At LiveJournal we had a challenge to write a story of love gone wrong I did one for Sabers, Skewers and Believers, here is the Believers story.

Sam had come home early and discovered them in bed together. It shouldn't have surprised her, not really. But it hurt seeing John and Angel together like that. Angel had been on top and John's hands were cupping her breasts. _Angel's two perfect breasts,_ she thought bitterly as she drove away from the firehouse.

Eight months ago, Sam had broken up with Coop and had become involved with John. After two months he moved in and she felt slightly safer having him next to her at night to watch over her and Angel and Chloe. One night three months later, Sam discovered a lump in her left breast and was diagnosed with cancer. A week after discovering the lump she underwent a mastectomy.

Today had been the next to the last of her chemotherapy treatments, her radiation treatments ended a few weeks before. Normally after chemo, Sam went to a support group luncheon. However, her white cell count was low and she shouldn't be out and about so she'd gone home and that was when she found her lover and her best friend in bed together. Caught up in what they were doing, they hadn't noticed as Sam watched for several moments from the doorway. The familiarity with which they coupled, suggested this wasn't the first time.

Depressed, hurt, and angry, Sam left the firehouse and headed to a small bar. With her low cell count and the treatment she shouldn't be drinking, but at that moment Sam didn't care. Although John had been verbally supportive, he'd been withdrawn and had only touched her twice since her mastectomy. Both times had been in the dark and both times he lost his erection and couldn't complete the act. Sam had tried to dismiss the incidents but having seen John and Angel together in the sunshine with him having no trouble performing, she felt devastated.

Jack had been following Samantha as always and he had bribed a lab technician for the results of her blood work up. Her white cell count was too low to be in a public place. Seeing her drinking and dabbing her eyes, he knew she must have found out at last about John and her roommate. While he had been aware for sometime, Jack had done nothing because he didn't want to add to Samantha's stress.

The alcohol was hitting Sam hard, she hadn't eaten anything today and she'd slammed two glasses of whiskey in rapid succession and was on her third. Concerned, Jack sat down beside her and said gently, "I don't think you should be out like this Samantha."

Turning her head she looked at him. The moment he said her name, she knew it was Jack. Under any other circumstance she would have been terrified or been reaching for her gun. Instead she simply sighed in annoyance, "What do you want Jack?"

"For you to get out of such a dangerous and germ filled place for a start. And beyond that, what I've always wanted, you, my Samantha."

"No you don't!" Sam cried out and then began to sob.

Since she'd been diagnosed and her breast had been removed, there had been no messages from Jack. Once an agent callously remarked in an effort to cheer her up that getting cancer was a blessing for her because it had made Jack go away. John couldn't make love to her, but could make love to Angel because she had two breasts. And apparently losing a breast made her no longer of interest to Jack, she'd decided.

"What makes you say I don't want you?" Jack asked and discretely nodded to the bartender to leave them alone. Uncomfortable with the scene and no one else in the bar, the bartender went into the back to check the inventory.

"You disappeared. Now do me a favor and disappear again," Sam snapped tearily.

"I've been by your side always my Samantha. Maybe I've kept my presence quiet because I wanted to hasten your recovery," Jack explained softly. Taking her hand, he added, "I'm always with you."

"You wouldn't say that if you'd seen me naked," she sniffed.

Taking her chin in his hand, Jack told her firmly, "I'm not John Grant. Your knight in shining armor didn't want you once you were less than perfect in his eyes. Maybe I'm the dragon you hope he slays, but you'll always be my perfect princess."

"With golden hair," Sam retorted and snatched her wig from her head.

"One day, but for now I just want you to get well."

Samantha sat uncertain, she'd expect Jack to be repulsed by her bald head and instead he hadn't blinked. Jack reached into his jacket and pulled out a small flat box and handed it to her.

"I've wanted to give this to you for a while now, I know from my disguises that wigs can be awfully hot and miserable."

Sam trembled as she opened the box. Inside was a deep blue scarf with lush roses hand painted on it.

Jack took it from her and gently began to place it on her head, "It's pure silk so it will breath, I painted it for you the week your hair started falling out. I wanted to send it to you but I was afraid you would reject my gift."

Sam knew she should still reject his gift, but found herself looking at her reflection in the mirror over the bar.

"It brings out your eyes," Jack commented and blushed slightly. Offering her his hand, Jack whispered, "Come with me Samantha. Stop wasting your tears on a man who couldn't see past the beauty on the outside."

Sam felt hesitant, this was a huge step and if she took it there would be no going back. She had loved John and still did, but all he could see was the physical. Since she had surgery, he didn't see Sam, all John saw was her missing breast. The man who was supposed to love her had betrayed her when she needed him the most. Sam allowed Jack to lead her out of the bar and left her wig behind.

That evening Sam made a call to Bailey from a payphone, telling him about John and Angel and saying she was starting a new life and not to look for her. Chloe had gone to live with her grandparents when Sam became ill so she would be acclimated in case of the worst, so Sam didn't have to worry about her daughter. After she'd made her call and Jack lead her back to his lair, Sam allowed him to make love to her. By soft candlelight, Jack touched her and made it clear she was perfect in his eyes.

Two years later, Samantha was cancer free and newly married to Jack. Although she had fallen a little in love with him the first day, she'd fallen for him completely when a month later he talked her out of reconstructive surgery. Instead, he'd shown her a design and taken her to a tattoo artist. Jack had persuaded the man to let him give her a local anesthetic, Jack couldn't handle seeing Samantha in pain. Four hours later, she'd emerged a new woman.

They spotted John and Angel at the museum gala and decided to say hello. Samantha was slowly embracing Jack's way of life and the idea of tormenting her ex and her former friend was appealing. The couple was barely speaking due to another of John's infidelities when Jack and Samantha approached them.

"Sam?" Angel asked in disbelief.

"Actually I prefer Samantha," she corrected as she stood in Jack's arms.

John looked at her in disbelief. When Sam left, Bailey had told him about Sam finding them and he'd felt horrible. But the sickly woman he'd cheated on was a far cry from the woman that stood before him. Long hair trailed past her waist and she wore a sheer white goddess style dress. The fabric showed off one very perfect breast and a cluster of deep red roses where the other breast had once been. Instead of looking flawed, she looked exotic and beautiful.

"Sam-" John stammered.

"Samantha," Jack corrected, shooting him a threatening look.

"Actually I only wanted to take a moment to thank you John. You cheating on me turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me," Samantha told him sincerely.

Pleased with her moment of triumph, Samantha and Jack left the pair standing in stunned silence...


End file.
